Whittle-le-Woods Crime Rate June 2024 | Monthly Statistics

Whittle-le-Woods’ crime profile in June 2024 reveals a striking imbalance between property and violent crime, with property-related offences accounting for 6 out of 21 total crimes. This contrasts with the UK average, where violent crime typically dominates. The area’s overall crime rate of 3.1 per 1,000 residents places it 62.2% below the national average of 8.2, a disparity that may reflect its relatively low population density and limited commercial activity compared to urban centres. Anti-social behaviour (33.3% of total crimes) emerged as the most prevalent category, followed by violence and sexual offences (19.1%) and public order issues (14.3%). This mix suggests a focus on community-level disruptions rather than high-impact crimes like burglary or theft. Seasonal factors may also play a role: June marks the start of summer, a period when tourism begins to rise in nearby coastal and rural areas. However, Whittle-le-Woods’ limited tourist infrastructure and small population may reduce exposure to seasonal crime spikes typically seen in more visitor-heavy regions. The low rate of violent crime—only 4 incidents—compared to property crimes (6) could indicate a safer environment for residents, though the presence of anti-social behaviour highlights ongoing challenges in maintaining public order. This balance between property and violent crime offers a nuanced picture of local priorities, suggesting that community engagement strategies may be more critical than traditional law enforcement measures in addressing the area’s unique needs.

June 2024 saw sharp fluctuations in specific crime categories, with public order offences surging by 200% (from 1 to 3 incidents) and drugs-related crime doubling (from 0 to 1). These increases contrast with a 60% drop in violence and sexual offences, which fell from 10 to 4, and a 33.3% decrease in other theft crimes (from 3 to 2). The property-to-violent crime ratio (6:4) highlights a trend where property-related offences remain more prominent than violent incidents, a pattern consistent with Whittle-le-Woods’ built-up area status within Chorley. This balance may reflect the area’s limited retail and commercial activity, which reduces opportunities for high-impact crimes like burglary but does not eliminate community-level disruptions. Anti-social behaviour remains significantly below the UK average (1.0 vs 1.4 per 1,000), a trend that could indicate effective local policing or a naturally lower incidence of disruptive conduct. Residents may find the 29% UK deficit in anti-social behaviour particularly noteworthy, as it suggests a relatively calm environment compared to other areas. However, the spike in public order offences raises questions about whether temporary factors—such as increased local events or seasonal gatherings—could have contributed to the surge.

Whittle-le-Woods’ crime rate of 3.1 per 1,000 in June 2024 represents a 4.6% decrease from the previous month’s rate of 3.3, indicating a slight but measurable downward trend. On a daily basis, the area experienced an average of one reported crime per day over the 30-day period, a figure that, while low, underscores the sporadic nature of criminal activity in this small built-up area. When scaled to the local population of 6,732 residents, this equates to one crime occurring for roughly every 321 residents over the course of the month—a statistic that provides a tangible sense of the area’s low-risk profile. This monthly exposure rate is significantly lower than the UK average, which typically sees higher frequencies of crime in more densely populated regions. The population-scaled perspective also highlights the effectiveness of local policing efforts, as the small number of incidents relative to the resident count suggests that resources are being allocated efficiently to maintain public safety. However, the comparison to the previous month’s rate and the presence of spikes in specific categories like public order offences indicate that the area’s crime picture is not static. While the overall trend is positive, the volatility in certain crime types necessitates continued monitoring to ensure that temporary fluctuations do not mask longer-term patterns.